Five saved RED FLARES fired by a yacht off Beer Head were reported by HM Coastguard to the honorary secretary of Lyme Regis ILB station at 1942 on Monday August 13, 1979. Five minutes later, Lyme Regis Atlantic 21 ILB was launched manned by Helmsman John Hodder with Crew Members Paul Wason, Graham Turner and Colin Jones; the additional crew member was taken to give extra weight in the heavy weather.

A strong breeze to near gale, force 6 to 7, was blowing from the south west and the tide was in the third hour of flood, setting west south west at about 0.7 knots. With the wind against tide the seas were short and steep, about 8 to 11 feet in height. It was raining heavily and visibility was about half a mile.

As the ILB set course west south west for the yacht, Crew Members Wason and Jones went as far forward as possible to keep the bows down, but after a little while bruising forced them to retreat further aft. Speed then had to be reduced to less than 12 knots.

The yacht. White Kitten, was sighted about half a mile ahead at 2015; her mainsail was set and she was lying at anchor, head to wind. Two men, two women and a five-year-old boy were on board. After leaving Torquay 51 hours previously they had crossed the Channel twice in thick fog and, not having slept, they were all exhausted. They did not realise that their anchor was dragging and that they would soon be aground on a lee shore.

Helmsman Hodder decided that the two women and the boy, who were very cold and wet, must be taken off immediately; they were taken on board the ILB and wrapped in polythene sheeting. The men were reluctant to leave their yacht so Crew Member Jones, who is a sailing instructor, joined them on board White Kitten to sail her to Lyme Regis. He reefed the mainsail, started the engine, cut the anchor chain, hoisted the jib and set the yawl on a south-easterly course to gain an offing before running for Lyme, thus clearing the broken water which was extending nearly a mile from shore.

Having satisfied himself that all was under control on board the yacht, Helmsman Hodder set out for Lyme.

By now the weather was deteriorating rapidly, with the wind increasing to gale force 8 gusting to storm force 10.

Despite the difficult passage, however, the Atlantic 21 managed to make goodabout 17 knots with the sea on her starboard quarter and the two women and the boy were landed safely at Lyme.

They were given hot tea and dry clothes and cared for by Mrs Brian Miller, a qualified nurse and the wife of a crew member.

At 2050, as soon as the survivors were safely disembarked. Helmsman Hodder put to sea again to find the yawl and escort her to harbour. It was now dark, so the ILB carried an Aldis lamp as well as powerful hand lamps and torches.

Crew Member Jones had lost sight of land almost immediately after setting course south east. The waves were becoming very high and he was thrown off the tiller several times. When he reckoned he had made good about two miles, the reefed mainsail was lowered and course altered to east north east on jib and engine only.

Meanwhile, the ILB was meeting head seas of 15 to 20 feet with breaking tops. In the darkness these very large waves could often not be seen until they were too close for avoiding action to be taken and the crew found themselves falling off the crests. Speed often had to be reduced to the minimum for steerage way, so that only about 4'/2 knots could be made good on the south-westerly course Helmsman Hodder calculated would intercept the yacht.

In fact White Kitten was making good a slightly more easterly course than had been thought and when the ILB sighted her masthead light at about 2145 she was about half a mile to the south. Having taken more than an hour to gain the two miles to seaward, the yawl was now making up to 7 knots before the wind on jib only and a faltering engine. She was shipping a great deal of water.

When Crew Member Jones sighted the ILB's lights he shone his Aldis lamp to guide her in. Helmsman Hodder, who had himself been out of sight of land for 50 minutes, estimated that they were now almost four miles south west of Lyme and heading too far to the east. As soon as he could bring the ILB within hailing distance he therefore told Colin Jones to steer north east. He then tried to keep station abeam of the casualty to be ready to help immediately if she were overwhelmed.

The ILB herself was as vulnerable as the yacht to the high and breaking following seas and passing course instructions was extremely difficult, so Helmsman Hodder stationed himself ahead of the yawl to lead her in until the shore lights became visible.

Back at Lyme Regis, Crew Member Brian Miller and two auxiliary coastguards had gone along outside the harbour wall to places from where, although very exposed and repeatedly covered by spray, they could shine hand lamps to guide in the two boats.

Brian Miller fired two parachute flares which were seen with great gratitudeby the ILB and the yawl when they were about three-quarters of a mile off the harbour entrance.

As soon as the lights of Lyme could be seen by White Kitten, Helmsman Hodder took station on her bow and used the ILB searchlights to illuminate the numerous lobster pots which had to be avoided on the way in. Just as she was being brought alongside the yawl failed to respond to her helm as the two bolts securing her pintles sheared; she was berthed safely, however, with the help of the ILB. The two men were landed, given first aid treatment and reunited with the women and the boy.

Following the rescue White Kitten's people gave donations and wrote to praise the bravery and skill of the ILB crew.

For this service a bar to his bronze medal was awarded to Helmsman John L. Hodder and the bronze medal to Crew Member Colin I. Jones. Medal service certificates were presented to Crew Members Paul Wason and Graham C. A. Turner..